Northland women targeted in Police recruiting night

Elyse Lewis, Northland's first female police dog handler, with police dog Mist. PHOTO/ Michael Cunningham

An all women's recruiting night is a first for Northland and aims to attract more females to the thin blue line.

Northland police recruiting officer Paula Stack said New Zealand Police were looking for women who were keen to make a difference in the communities they lived in.

Police were also wanting to reflect the communities they served and a big part of this is increasing the number of female officers.

With a target of having 50 per cent female recruits by 2021, the organisation still has a long way to go. In 2015, a third of recruits were women, the highest number yet. The other priority target was to encourage more Maori to join police.

Mrs Stack said sometimes women lacked confidence to come forward and seriously consider a policing career and it was hoped by having a recruitment night specifically for woman they would not feel so intimidated.

"A lot of women dream of having a career with the police but don't think it's possible to have a family and leave them for the 16 weeks training course and then start shift work."

She said the recruiting night would give them an insight into how it was possible from Northland policewomen who had achieved their goals.

Women with life experience were just the type of people police were looking for.

A number of serving policewomen from a range of diverse backgrounds will tell their stories and outline the recruiting process.

Constable Elyse Lewis, along with police dog Mist, made Northland policing history in February 2016 when Ms Lewis became the first female dog handler to be based in the region.

She is only the fifth female dog handler in the New Zealand police and one of two currently working on the beat. The other is stationed in Wellington.

Ms Lewis, who spent nine years as a front line officer in Whangarei before chasing her dream of becoming a dog handler, is a former Kamo High School student.

New Zealand's first all female recruiting day was held at the New Zealand Police College in Porirua on Saturday.

If you are interested in going to the Northland recruiting night march on in to the Cornerstone, Kerikeri Rd tomorrow from 6.30pm to 8pm.